Raleigh The Carolina Hurricanes landed arguably the biggest name on the NHL free agency market, signing winger Nikolaj Ehlers to a six-year, $51 million contract Thursday. Ehlers was drafted by the Jets and played the last decade in Winnipeg, totaling 225 goals and 520 points in 674 regular season games. He had 24 goals and 39 assists for 63 points last season. The 29-year-old Dane, the ninth overall pick in the 2014 NHL Draft, is an eight-time 20-goal scorer and has eclipsed 60 points each of the last two seasons.
Trump expected to sign “Big Beautiful Bill” after House passage
Washington, D.C.
House Republicans have lifted President Donald Trump’s $4.5 trillion tax breaks and spending cuts bill to nal passage, overcoming multiple setbacks to approve his signature second-term policy package before a self-imposed Fourth of July deadline. The tight roll call, 218-214, on Thursday came at a potentially high political cost, with two Republicans joining all Democrats opposed. GOP leaders worked overnight and the president himself leaned on a handful of skeptics to drop their opposition and send the bill to his desk to become law. The outcome delivers a milestone for the president and his party, a longshot e ort to compile a lengthy list of GOP priorities into what they called his “one big beautiful bill,” an 800-plus page package. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Trump planned to sign it at 5 p.m. on Friday, July 4th.
U.S. labor market surprises with 147K new jobs last month
Washington, D.C.
The U.S. job market delivered another upside surprise last month, churning out a betterthan-expected 147,000 jobs. The unemployment rate ticked down unexpectedly, too June hiring was up modestly from May’s 144,000 increase in payrolls and beat the 118,000 jobs economists had forecast for last month. The unemployment rate slipped to 4.1% from 4.2% in May as the ranks of the unemployed fell by 222,000. Forecasters had expected the jobless rate to inch up to 4.3%.
Sculptures get makeover
Sweet summertime treats cruise out on Lake Tillery
Make Mia Cake boat marks fourth year bringing desserts to weekend lake-goers
By Charles Curcio Stanly News Journal
A BRIGHT pink pontoon boat with a 15-foot agpole has become a familiar sight on Lake Tillery, where the Lani-
er family has spent four years bringing sweet treats directly to boaters. Mia Lanier’s Make Mia Cake boat operates weekends on the lake, o ering everything from bundt cakes and cupcakes to Italian ices and keto-friendly options.
The business began in 2017 when Lanier made pound cakes for a fundraiser to help a family in need. Someone sug-
“If
gested she sell cakes at the farmers market in Norwood, and the business grew from there. The boat idea came when the family needed to pay for a new boat motor.
“Let me sell cakes on the lake, and I will help you pay o the boat motor,” Lanier told her husband, Michael. Initially, their brown and gray pontoon boat blended in
Uwharrie Players present revival of ‘Once Upon a Mattress’
The classic fairy tale runs July 25-27 and Aug. 1-3
By Charles Curcio Stanly News Journal
ALBEMARLE — The summer musical for the Uwharrie Players will feature a princess, a queen and a di erent slant on a familiar fairy tale.
“Once Upon a Mattress” will be July 25-27 and Aug. 1-3 at the Stanly County Agri-Civic Center.
Stuart Metcalf, director
The musical comedy is based upon Hans Christian Andersen’s story “The Princess and the Pea,” and it was rst performed in 1959 o -Broadway before moving to a Broadway stage. The show is notable for the Broadway debut of comedy legend Carol Burnett,
with recent revivals starring Sarah Jessica Parker of “Sex and the City” fame.
In the story, Princess Winnifred (nicknamed Fred for short) travels to a kingdom where marriage has been banned until the crown’s heir, Prince Dauntless the Drab, takes a bride. The Queen tries to control whom the prince chooses as he is charmed by Fred.
Uwharrie’s production is being directed by Ansonville’s Stuart Metcalf, his rst production with the company. Metcalf previously directed musicals including “Beauty and the Beast,” “Mamma Mia!,” “Guys and Dolls” and “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.”
Mia Lanier
with other boats on the lake. People would hear about them but couldn’t nd them. Pink was Mia’s favorite color, so Michael wrapped their
THE STANLY COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL
CHARLES CURCIO / STANLY NEWS JOURNAL
SUNDAY JULY 6
MONDAY
7
TUESDAY
8
accolades
Christ The King Christian Academy
The following students were named to the Christ The King Christian Academy Honor Roll for the fourth quarter of the 2024-25 academic year.
A Honor Students
Tess Anderson (Miss Dozier), Jackson Mays (Miss Quiterio), Bryson Cook (Mrs. Keever) and Catherine Baumann (Mr. Morris)
A/B
Honor Students
Mrs. Lyerly: Wyatt Smith
Miss Bragg: Harrison Mays
Miss Dozier: Zanna Goforth
Miss Quiterio: Jackson Mays and Levi Tate
Mrs. Keever: Kaia Davis, Parker Reece and Kayden Russ
Mr. Morris: Joseph Claiborne and Kendall Laton
6th and 10th: Isaac Anderson, Kaedence Greene and Jair Sanchez
Denny’s, Wa e House remove egg surcharges as prices fall
Wa e House had been charging an extra 50 cents per egg
By Dee-Ann Durbin The Associated Press
DENNY’S AND Wafe House have removed surcharges that the two restaurant chains added to their menus when U.S. egg prices spiked earlier in the year. Denny’s con rmed Thursday that it eliminated its egg surcharge on May 21. Wa e House said Wednesday on social me-
dia that it canceled its surcharge on June 2.
Wa e House instituted a 50-cent per egg surcharge in February at all of its 1,900 U.S. restaurants due to the soaring cost of eggs. Denny’s also put a surcharge in place in February, but it varied by location. Outbreaks of bird u in January and February caused the average price of a dozen Grade A eggs to hit a record high of $6.23 per dozen in March, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
More than 174.8 million wild bird and poultry have
been killed due to the virus, which began circulating in January 2022. Any time a bird gets sick, the entire ock is killed to help keep the highly contagious u from spreading. The mass slaughters can a ect egg supplies because massive egg farms may have millions of birds. Egg prices at grocery stores began falling in April as bird u cases fell and Easter demand eased. In May, the average retail price dropped further, to $4.55 per dozen. That was the lowest price since December, when eggs averaged $4.15 per dozen.
Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in and around Stanly County:
July 10
Locust
This producers-only market o ers
homemade foods and crafts by
creators. Conveniently located across the street from Locust Elementary School. Open May through September. Corner of 24/27 and Vella Drive Locust
Shake, Rattle & Roll
10:45-11:15 a.m.
Music and movement class for children ages 0-4 and their caregivers. These classes are designed to promote emotional, cognitive and social development, improve social skills and encourage caregiver/child bonding.
Albemarle Main Library 133 E. Main St. Albemarle
July 11
Food Truck Fridays at City Lake Park 5:30-9 p.m.
Enjoy food and beverages from the variety of food trucks on site while being entertained by the singing and dancing of The Legacy Motown Review. 815 Concord Road Albemarle
July 12
Carolina Soul Trail Ride Noon to 4 p.m.
Tickets for the trail ride are $23.18. For more information, text 704-275-1415. Valley Drive/Left on 24/27 Albemarle
July 13
Celebrating the History of Kingville 4 p.m.
This free educational program is sponsored by The Stanly County Historical Society and Kingville Alumni Association. Presenters will include local historians Lewis P. Bramlett and Brenda Stanback. E.E. Waddell Community Center 621 Wall St. Albemarle
THE CONVERSATION
Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor
VISUAL VOICES
Democrats need populism, but not Zohran’s sort
Making Mamdani mayor of New York is like electing Bernie Sanders president — maybe even worse.
ZOHRAN MAMDANI is the latest sign establishment Democrats don’t know how to handle a populist challenge.
They haven’t learned anything from the defeats right-wing populism in icted on them with Donald Trump.
Now they’re knocked on their backsides by a new generation of left-wing populism in their own party.
Making Mamdani mayor of New York is like electing Bernie Sanders president — maybe even worse.
But in an era when populism keeps gaining momentum, Democratic insiders habitually turn to political has-beens to rescue the party.
First it was Hillary Clinton, who staved o Sanders only to lose to Trump.
Then it was Joe Biden, who got lucky in an election dominated by COVID lockdowns and George Floyd protests, even as Democrats knew he was far past his best-by date.
So the setback Trump’s right- of- center populism su ered in 2020 only set the stage for a comeback of historic proportions four years later.
Democrats should have noticed their playbook wasn’t working even back in 2021, when Terry McAuli e, the ex-governor and old Clinton crony they trotted out to run for Virginia’s top o ce, went crashing to defeat at the hands of Glenn Youngkin — a Republican who didn’t have a populist background but spoke to popular fury at lockdowns and rising crime.
Mamdani is the crudest kind of left-wing populist, o ering outright socialism, including state-owned grocery stores, as his answer to New York’s problems.
His medicine would in fact make things a lot worse, driving more high- earners out of the city in a second exodus after the one COVID triggered.
A city already spending too much will have less revenue to pay for the even higher spending Mamdani wants, but that didn’t register with Democratic primary voters last week.
What they saw and heard was a young, handsome Mamdani telling them more free stu could be theirs — all they had to do was end Andrew Cuomo’s political career.
Cuomo didn’t take Mamdani’s challenge seriously enough, but then, top Democrats didn’t take voters seriously enough when they got behind Cuomo in the rst place.
He was damaged goods as well as yesterday’s news, a man who’d left the governor’s mansion in disgrace four years ago.
At a time when all the old idols are falling, did hauling this one out of the dumpster really seem like a bright idea?
The party establishment might as well have run Anthony Weiner — and
in fact, he was on the ballot last week, too, running for a City Council seat.
MAGA populism, unlike Mamdani’s, doesn’t spring from thinking there shouldn’t be billionaires.
On the right, populism is about getting rid of barriers to middle- and working-class prosperity by bringing jobs back to America and eliminating taxes on tips, for example.
And the right’s populism is cultural as well as economic, emphasizing common sense, the rejection of woke ideology and patriotism.
In a clash between rival populisms, the conservative kind prevails against what Mamdani and Sanders represent — in most places.
But New York is a blue city where Democratic loyalties run deep, and now that Mamdani is the party’s nominee, stopping him in the general election will take everything that nonsocialist Democrats, independents and Republicans together can muster.
The only way center-left Democrats will avoid this kind of debacle in the future is if they end their recycling program for Clintons, Bidens, Cuomos and Weiners and gure out what a mainstream Democratic populism in the 21st century might look like.
Democrats need a populism with less socialism and more patriotism, even if that looks a little more like the GOP’s formula — after all, it’s what works.
The party of Franklin Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy used to know how to compete with Republicans for voters who were proud of being Americans, before identity politics and the Davos mindset took over the party’s elites.
But today, the few Democrats who point their party back in the direction of Middle America are shunned for doing so: Sen. John Fetterman, for one.
The party that made excuses for Biden up to the minute he was humiliated on national TV has been lately seeding the press with claims Fetterman isn’t mentally t for o ce.
His tness wasn’t an issue when he was elected in 2022 — Democrats stood by him despite the stroke he su ered that May.
But that was before he started to buck party orthodoxy.
Late last month, Susquehanna polling found Fetterman doing better with Republicans than Democrats in his home state, with 45% approval from GOP voters versus just 40% from his own party’s.
Democrats are shooting the messenger. Without a populist message that isn’t as far left as Mamdani’s, they’re doomed to defeat in the country — and doomed to victories in blue cities that may hurt even more.
Daniel McCarthy is the editor of “Modern Age: A Conservative Review.”
Budget bill bad for Stanly County
TODAY, MORE THAN 45 million of us Americans have health care due to the ACA act. Most of us think that’s a great plan since we all have family and friends who are able to take advantage of that, including my daughter.
But the proposed budget bill the Republicans in Congress will devastate those families. Restrictions and reductions to both Medicaid and Medicare will be on the way if the bill the House just passed is passed by the Senate.
The Congressional Budget O ce (CBO) has said that the proposed work requirement alone would mean 7.7 million folks lose their health insurance by 2034.
The CBO has predicted $500 billion in automatic cuts to Medicare, and that’s on top of what the Trump administration has already cut that a ects our poor, elderly, disabled and needy.
What about Meals on Wheels and other food programs for elderly and others? The federal funding has been cut.
What about Head Start for children? The funding has been cut.
What about monies to help disabled children in our schools? The funding has been cut.
And that’s just for starters.
It is so clear that the administration’s proposed budget bill is really about cutting programs from Medicaid and Medicare so that the wealthiest get more tax breaks.
The previous Trump administration’s national debt was increased by $7.8 trillion because of the massive tax cuts they gave to the wealthy. That kind of debt is exactly what is going to happen again at the expense of our middle and lower classes.
Gee, how does that work for us in Stanly County and surrounding counties? Sound like something we all want?
Nancy C. Bryant Norwood
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COLUMN | DANIEL MCCARTHY LETTERS
obituaries
HERBERT LINDSTROM
NOV. 3, 1978 – JUNE 26, 2025
Herbert Lindstrom, 93, of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, passed away Thursday, June 26, 2025, at Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center in Florida.
Herbert was born on July 11, 1931, to the late Robert Lindstrom and the late Elsie Lindstrom.
He was also preceded in death by his brother, Ted Lindstrom.
Barbara Jean (Taylor) Drye
April 17, 1936 ~ January 14, 2023
A farewell service will be held on Wednesday, July 2, at noon at Hartsell Funeral Home of Albemarle, located at 522 North 2nd Street, o ciated by Reverend Tab Whitely. Burial will follow at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church Cemetery located at 17236 Frog Pond Road, Oakboro.
Barbara Jean Taylor Drye, 86, of Oakboro, passed away Saturday, January 14, 2023 at her home.
Barbara was born April 17, 1936 in North Carolina to the late Robert Lee Taylor and the late Eva Belle Watts Taylor. She was also preceded in death by husband of 61 years, Keith Furr Drye, and brothers, Robert Lee Taylor, Jr. and George Kenneth Taylor. Survivors include children, Debbie (Mike) Williams of Albemarle, Teresa (Tom) Curry of Oakboro, Douglas (Tammy) Drye of Oakboro; grandchildren, Melissa (Don) Parrish of Albemarle, Samantha (Destiny) Smith of Oakboro, Bradley Smith of Oakboro, Jonathan Stover of Peachland, and Jessie Stover of Lylesville; sisterin-law, Beatrice Goodman; many nieces and nephews; and her beloved cats, Bo and Gar eld.
Bill Moyers, former White House press secretary turned acclaimed TV journalist, dead at 91
He was LBJ’s press secretary and a longtime PBS host
Dwight Farmer
January 24, 1939 ~ January 15, 2023
James Roseboro
June 23, 1967 ~ January 10, 2023
By Frazier Moore The Associated Press
Dwight Britten Farmer Sr., 83, of Norwood died Sunday morning, January 15, 2023 at Forrest Oakes.
Herbert was a loving husband to his wonderful wife Deane for 64 years. He enjoyed traveling with Deane to numerous countries all over the world. In his travels, he went to Australia, where he caught an 848 lb. marlin, which he was extremely proud of. Herbert loved taking care of his dogs and had ve poodles. He was an avid golfer, a generous friend and loved making sandwiches for the poor. Herbert was somewhat shy and never wanted to stand in the spotlight, but instead, enjoyed serving others anonymously. But of all the places he visited and things he had done, his most cherished moments were the times he got to spend with his family.
Dwight was born January 24, 1939 in Stanly County to the late Walter Virgil and Martha Adkins Farmer. He was a 1957 graduate of Norwood High School and was a United States Army Veteran.
NEW YORK — Bill Moyers, the former White House press secretary who became one of television’s most honored journalists, masterfully using a visual medium to illuminate a world of ideas, died Thursday at age 91.
He was a member of Cedar Grove United Methodist Church where he had served as church treasurer and choir member. He began his career with the Stanly County Sheri ’s Department moving to the Norwood Police Department and retiring as Chief of Police with the Town of Norwood after many years of service.
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy sta they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.” 23rd Psalm
Barbara was a member of Oakboro Baptist Church for over 60 years. She worked over 30 years at Stanly Knitting Mills. After just two years of retirement, she began managing the Oakboro Senior Center and did that for 18 years until this past week. Barbara was known for her good cooking and always taking care of others. She also loved going on day long shopping trips - she could out walk and out shop people half her age. She kept her mind and body active through gardening, word searches, and various other hobbies.
James Arthur Roseboro, 55, of Albemarle, passed away Tuesday, January 10, 2023 at Anson Health and Rehab.
Mr. Roseboro was born on June 23, 1967 to the late Robert and Delena Shipp Roseboro. He graduated from South Stanly High School and was employed by Triangle Brick. He enjoyed watching football and basketball, especially the Carolina TarHeels and Miami.
Moyers died in a New York City hospital, according to longtime friend Tom Johnson, the former CEO of CNN and an assistant to Moyers during Lyndon B. Johnson’s administration. Moyers’ son William said his father died at Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York after a “long illness.”
Dwight was an avid gardener, bird watcher and Carolina fan.
He is survived by his wife Hilda Whitley Farmer; one son D. Britten Farmer Jr. (Mary) of McLeansville, NC; one daughter Sharon Farmer Lowe (David) of Norwood; one sister Geraldine Dennis of Troy; two grandchildren, Dwight Britten “Dee” Farmer III and Whitley Rose Hui Lowe.
Survivors include wife, Deane Lindstrom; nieces, Bambi Lindstrom and Cynthia Inberg.
Donations may be made to Tunnels to Towers Foundation.
He was preceded in death by his son Alex, brothers, Tommy and Jimmy, sisters, Nancy, Cornelia Annabell, Glennie Mae, and Betty.
Hartsell Funeral Home of Albemarle is serving the Lindstrom family.
ETTA WHITLEY SMITH
SEPT. 27, 1934 – JUNE 30, 2025
Etta Whitley Smith, of New London, passed away on Monday, June 30, 2025, at Atrium Health Stanly, surrounded by her family.
There will be a funeral service at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 5, 2025, at Edwards Funeral Home in Norwood, NC. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service. Rev. Ronnie Pugh will o ciate. Burial will follow at Stanly Gardens of Memory. Etta was born on September 27, 1934, to the late Author and Eunice Whitley. She spent her days taking care of her home and children, whilst supporting her loving husband, Robert. Etta was also a member of Open Door Baptist Church.
In addition to her parents, Etta was preceded in death by her husband, Robert Elwood Smith. She was also preceded in death by her siblings: Clinton Whitley, Rayvon Whitley, L.V. Whitley, and Georgia Starnes; her son, Tommy Smith; and one precious grandchild. Etta is survived by her children: Darrell Smith (Cathy), Irma Hedrick (Mark) and Dale Smith (Angela); ve grandchildren, and a host of great-grandchildren, as well as grandchildren. She is also survived by two special friends: Linda Ray, of New York, and Linda Potts, of Albemarle.
Celebrate the life of your loved ones. Submit obituaries and death notices to be published in SCJ at obits@stanlyjournal.com
Moyers’ career ranged from youthful Baptist minister to deputy director of the Peace Corps, from Johnson’s press secretary to newspaper publisher, senior news analyst for “The CBS Evening News” and chief correspondent for “CBS Reports.”
But it was for public television that Moyers produced some of TV’s most cerebral and provocative series. In hundreds of hours of PBS programs, he proved at home with subjects ranging from government corruption, modern dance and drug addiction to media consolidation, religion and environmental abuse.
Memorials may be made to Cedar Grove United Methodist Church, Cemetery or Choir Fund c/o Pam Smith 36071 Rocky River Springs Road, Norwood, NC 28128.
In addition to his parents he is preceded in death by his brothers and sisters: Barbara Lee Roseboro, Dorothy Brown, Verna Roseboro, Henrietta Ingram, and Harold Roseboro.
He is survived by his sisters: Helen (James) Roseboro Edwards of Albemarle, Mary Roseboro of Washington DC, and Marion Morrison of Albemarle; brothers: Thomas D. Roseboro of Charlotte, Robert Roseboro (Patricia) of Norwood, and Van Horne; a special friend of over 40 years, Michelle McLendon of the home; special nieces: Nybrea Montague, Knya Little, and Laquanza Crump; special nephews: Robert Jr., Desmond Roseboro, and Marcus Lilly; and God daughter, Daphne Johnson; and special friends, Vetrella Johnson and Ben McLendon.
In 1988, Moyers produced “The Secret Government” about the Iran-Contra scandal during the Reagan administration and simultaneously published a book under the same name. Around that time, he galvanized viewers with “Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth,” a series of six one-hour interviews with the prominent religious scholar. The accompanying book became a best-seller.
His televised chats with poet Robert Bly almost single-handedly launched the 1990s Men’s Movement, and his 1993 series “Healing and the Mind” had a profound impact on the medical community and on medical education.
John B. Kluttz
son of a dirt farmer-truck driver who soon moved his family to Marshall, Texas. High school led him into journalism.
March 23, 1935 - January 9,
John grew up in the Millingport community where he drove a school bus and worked at the local gas station during his High School years. He graduated from Millingport
Doris Jones Coleman
“I wanted to play football, but I was too small. But I found that by writing sports in the school newspaper, the players were always waiting around at the newsstand to see what I wrote,” he recalled.
return from the service, he and his high school sweetheart Julie were married in 1956. He graduated from Nashville Auto Diesel College later in 1959 and began his career as a diesel mechanic at Mitchell Distributing Company, moving his growing family to Charlotte where they lived until their retirement.
called “a soft, probing style” in the native Texas accent he never lost, Moyers was a humanist who investigated the world with a calm, reasoned perspective, whatever the subject.
From some quarters, he was blasted as a liberal thanks to his links with Johnson and public television, as well as his no-holds-barred approach to investigative journalism. It was a label he didn’t necessarily deny.
October 11, 1944 - January 10, 2023
He worked for the Marshall News Messenger at age 16. Deciding that Bill Moyers was a more appropriate byline for a sportswriter, he dropped the “y” from his name.
He graduated from the University of Texas and earned a master’s in divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He was ordained and preached part time at two churches but later decided his call to the ministry “was a wrong number.”
When John purchased his rst Model A Ford at the age of 17, he said that he took the car to the community mechanic when he had a small problem.The mechanic told him that if he was going to keep the car, he needed to learn to work on it. This is when John’s passion for Model A Fords began and how he spent his happiest days with his best friends from around the globe for the rest of his life!
“I’m an old-fashion liberal when it comes to being open and being interested in other people’s ideas,” he said during a 2004 radio interview.
But Moyers preferred to term himself a “citizen journalist” operating independently, outside the establishment.
Public television (and his self-nanced production company) gave him free rein to throw “the conversation of democracy open to all comers,” he said in a 2007 interview with The Associated Press.
Darrick Baldwin
In a medium that supposedly abhors “talking heads” — shots of subject and interviewer talking — Moyers came to specialize in just that. He once explained why: “The question is, are the talking heads thinking minds and thinking people? Are they interesting to watch? I think the most fascinating production value is the human face.”
Doris Elaine Jones Coleman, 78, went home into God’s presence on January 10 after a sudden illness and a valiant week-long ght in ICU. Doris was born on October 11, 1944, in the mountains of Marion, NC while her father was away ghting in the US Navy during World War II. Raymond Jones was so proud to return after the war and meet his little girl! Doris grew up in Durham, NC and graduated from Durham High School. She furthered her studies at Watts Hospital School of Nursing in Durham and graduated as a Registered Nurse in 1966.
His relationship with Johnson began when he was in college; he wrote the then-senator o ering to work in his 1954 reelection campaign. Johnson was impressed and hired him for a summer job. He was back in Johnson’s employ as a personal assistant in the early 1960s and for two years, he worked at the Peace Corps, eventually becoming deputy director.
At age 50, after years as a Detroit Diesel Mechanic he and Julie decided to take the plunge and open a full Model A Restoration Shop. They thrived at their shop in Cornelius, NC until their retirement in 1998 when they moved back to Cabarrus County. John once again set up shop in his back yard garage where he attracted a loyal group of friends who visited almost daily.
“I think my peers in commercial television are talented and devoted journalists,” he said another time, “but they’ve chosen to work in a corporate mainstream that trims their talent to t the corporate nature of American life. And you do not get rewarded for telling the hard truths about America in a profit-seeking environment.”
January 7, 1973 ~ January 8, 2023
(Softly) speaking truth to power
Demonstrating what someone
Darrick Vashon Baldwin, age 50, entered eternal rest, Sunday, January 8, 2023, Albemarle, North Carolina. Born January 7, 1973, in Stanly County, North Carolina, Darrick was the son of Eddie James Baldwin Sr. and the late Phyllis Blue Baldwin. Darrick enjoyed life, always kept things lively and enjoyed making others smile. His presence is no longer in our midst, but his memory will forever live in our hearts.
On the day John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Moyers was in Austin helping with the presidential trip. He ew back to Washington on Air Force One with newly sworn-in President Johnson, for whom he held various jobs over the ensuing years, including press secretary.
A long run on television
While on the farm in Gold Hill, John also began a lifelong love with Alis Chalmers tractors after he restored his Dad’s tractor and began amassing his collection of tractors as well.
John restored many cars of his own and had the crowning achievement of winning the most prestigious award from MARC, The Henry for a restoration that garnered top points. He was also presented with the Ken Brady Service Awardthe highest award given to members at the national level.
Over the years, Moyers was showered with honors, including more than 30 Emmys, 11 George Foster Peabody awards, three George Polks and, twice, the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Gold Baton Award for career excellence in broadcast journalism. In 1995, he was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.
From sports to sports writing
Born in Hugo, Oklahoma, on June 5, 1934, Billy Don Moyers was the
He was educated in the Stanly County public schools and attended Albemarle Senior High School, Albemarle.
He was a great conversationalist and loved meeting people. Darrick never met a stranger and always showed love and compassion for his fellowman. He also loved his dog, Rocky.
Doris married Rev. Dr. Ted Coleman in 1966 and had two daughters Amy and Laura. Doris raised Amy and Laura in North Augusta, SC. Doris was an incredible neonatal intensive care nurse for most of her career, and this was her passion. The Augusta Chronicle did a feature on her in 1985. She was a clinical nurse manager in Augusta, Georgia at University Hospital NICU and worked there for 20 years. During this time, Doris mentored young nurses and assisted in saving the lives of so many babies. She also worked for Pediatrician Dr. William A. Wilkes in Augusta for several years prior to her NICU career. Doris retired from the mother/baby area at Atrium Stanly in 2007 after over 40 years of nursing.
In 1967, Moyers became publisher of Long Island-based Newsday. Within three years, the suburban daily had won two Pulitzers. He left the paper in 1970 after the ownership changed. That summer, he traveled the country and wrote the best-selling “Listening to America: a Traveler Rediscovers His Country.”
His next venture was in public television, and he won critical acclaim for “Bill Moyers Journal. He was chief correspondent of “CBS Reports” from 1976 to 1978, went back to PBS for three years, and then was senior news analyst for CBS from 1981 to 1986.
He and his wife, Judith Davidson Moyers, became their own bosses by forming Public A airs Television.
Doris was a gentle and sweet spirit and loved her Lord. She never met a stranger, and she always left you feeling uplifted after talking with her. She would often claim that she had “adopted” friends into her immediate family, and honestly, she never made a distinction between the two. Positivity radiated from her like sunlight. She was sel ess, funny, smart, and sentimental. During her lifetime she was an active member of First Baptist Church of Durham, First Baptist Church of Augusta, Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Augusta, and Palestine United Methodist Church in Albemarle. She especially loved helping at church with older adults, youth, and children.
He is survived by his father, Eddie J. Baldwin Sr.; sisters: Crystal (Eric) Jackson, LaFondra (Stoney) Medley, and Morgan Baldwin; brothers: Eddie Baldwin Jr., Anton Baldwin, and Lamont Baldwin; a host of other relatives and friends. A limb has fallen from our family tree. We will not grieve Darrick’s death; we will celebrate his life. We give thanksgiving for the many shared memories.
This is what John’s Model A Community had to say upon learning of his death: He was an active member of Wesley Chapel Methodist Church where he loved serving as greeter on Sunday mornings. He also belonged to the United Methodist Men. John is survived by his wife Julie Ussery Kluttz, for 66 years of the home. He is also survived by a son John David Kluttz (Kim) of Oakboro, NC; two daughters, Sally Simerson of Denver, CO and Betsy Tusa (John) of Lafayette, CO; three grandchildren, Bonnie Kluttz Sammons (Ben) of Rich eld, NC John Alexander McKinnon (Sarah) of Asheville, NC and Seth William McKinnon (Amanda) of Germany; ve great-grandchildren, Charlotte, Meredith, Grant, Victoria and Ronan. John is also preceded in death by his parents, J.S. Kluttz and Mary Wyatt Clayton Kluttz; a large and loving group of brothers and sisters, Jack Methias Kluttz, Annie Lou Kluttz Honeycutt, Jake Nelson Kluttz, Julius Kluttz, Mary Patricia Phillips and a grandson, Kevin Fowler Kluttz.
His projects in the 21st century included “Now,” a weekly PBS public a airs program; a new edition of “Bill Moyers Journal” and a podcast covering racism, voting rights and the rise of Donald Trump, among other subjects.
She was especially talented at sewing from a young age and made gifts for friends, Christmas ornaments, Halloween Costumes, doll clothes, pageant dresses, prom dresses, coats, tote bags, scarves, out ts for Amy and Laura, and Christening gowns for each of her grandchildren.
Celebrate the life of your loved ones. Submit obituaries and death notices to be published in NSJ at obits@northstatejournal.com
Doris was preceded in death by her father Arthur Raymond Jones, her mother Mary Ellen Cameron Jones, and her sister Maryanne Jones Brantley. Survivors include her two precious daughters: Amy Cameron Coleman (partner Dr. Edward Neal Chernault) of Albemarle, NC, and Laura Lindahl Coleman Oliverio (husband David) of Cincinnati, Ohio; seven grandchildren: Cameron David Oliverio, Stephanie Jae Dejak, Luca Beatty Oliverio, Coleman John Dejak, Carson Joseph Oliverio, Ryan Nicholas Dejak, and Jadon Richard Oliverio; and numerous in-laws, nieces, nephews, cousins, and loved ones.
AP PHOTO
PBS host Bill Moyers appears at WNET in New York in 1974.
The actor became a regular player in Quentin Tarantino lms
By Andrew Dalton and Itzel Luna
LOS ANGELES — Michael Madsen, whose menacing characters in “Reservoir Dogs” and “Kill Bill” made him a standout in Quentin Tarantino’s lms, has died. He was 66. Madsen was found unresponsive in his home in Malibu, California, on Thursday morning and pronounced dead, Los Angeles County Sheri ’s Department Watch Commander Christopher Jauregui said. He is believed to have died of natural causes and authorities do not suspect any foul play was involved. Madsen’s manager Ron Smith said cardiac arrest was the apparent cause. Madsen’s career spanned more than 300 credits stretching back to the early 1980s, many in low-budget lms. But his most memorable screen moment may have been the sadistic torture of a captured police o cer — while dancing to Stealers Wheel’s “Stuck in the Middle with You” — as Mr. Blonde in 1992’s “Reservoir Dogs.” He would become a Tarantino regular, appearing in the “Kill Bill” lms and “The Hateful Eight.”
“In the last two years Michael Madsen has been doing some incredible work with independent lm including upcoming feature lms ‘Resurrection Road,’ ‘Concessions and ’Cookbook for Southern Housewives,’ and was really looking forward to this next chapter in his life,” his managers Smith and Susan Ferris and publicist Liz Rodriguez said in a statement. They added that he “was one of Hollywood’s most iconic actors, who will be missed by many.”
During a handprint ceremony at the TCL Chinese Theatre in November 2020, Madsen re ected on his rst visit to Hollywood in the early 1980s.
“I got out and I walked around and I looked and I wondered if there were someday some way that that was going to be a part of me. And I didn’t know because I didn’t know what I was going to do at that point with myself,” he said. “I could have been a bricklayer. I could have been an architect. I could have been a garbage man. I could have been nothing. But I got lucky. I got lucky as an actor.”
CREDIT MICHAEL MADSEN CC BY-SA 3.0
Actor Michael Madsen was a popular casting choice for director Quentin Tarantino.
An empty rural hospital helps explain Tillis’ vote against Trump’s tax bill
Concerns over Medicare cuts drove the decision
By Amanda Seitz The Associated Press
WASHINGTON, D.C. —
Though patients don’t rush through the doors of this emergency room anymore, an empty hospital in Williamston offers an evocative illustration of why Republican Sen. Thom Tillis would buck his party leaders to vote down President Donald Trump’s signature domestic policy package.
Martin General is one of a dozen hospitals that have closed in North Carolina over the last two decades. This is a problem that hospital systems and health experts warn may only worsen if the legislation passes with its $1 trillion cuts to the Medicaid program and new restrictions on enrollment in the coverage.
Tillis’ home state showcases the nancial impact that more Medicaid dollars can have on hospitals in rural and poor regions throughout the country. Tillis said in a oor speech on Sunday, explaining his vote, that the GOP bill will siphon billions of dollars from Medicaid recipients and the health system in his state.
“Republicans are about to make a mistake on health care and betraying a promise,” said Tillis, who has announced he will not seek re-election be -
cause of his opposition to the bill. Along with Republicans Susan Collins of Maine and Rand Paul of Kentucky, he joined all Democrats in voting against the bill. Tillis later accused the president and his colleagues of not fully grasping the full impact of the bill: “We owe it to the states to do the work to understand how these proposals affect them. How hard is that? I did it.”
For Martin General Hospital in Williamston, North Carolina’s decision to expand Medicaid came just too late. The emergency room abruptly
Macy Weeks and Isaac Welch
a scene for the upcoming musical “Once Upon A Mattress.”
closed its doors in the eastern North Carolina county that’s home to more than 20,000 people in August 2023. The closest hospital is now about a 30-minute drive away.
Then-Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper faulted the state’s failure to expand the Medicaid program to more low-income adults sooner to prevent Martin General’s closure.
North Carolina began o ering Medicaid expansion to its residents in December. Today, more than 673,000 people are receiving this coverage.
Now, Tillis and other state o cials are worried the Re -
MUSICAL from page A1
Metcalf, who manages the technical side of touring theatrical shows for a living, said his rst experience with Uwharrie was watching “The Addams Family” last year, adding it was “the best piece of local theater I’ve ever seen.”
During this year’s Celebration of the Arts, Metcalf met two of the Players’ board members, who asked him if he would direct the show.
“It’s just been a treat to work here,” Metcalf said. “Everyone has been so nice, and (Uwharrie) draws a tremendous pool of talent.”
Metcalf added the show was a women’s empowerment story for the time when it was released, but added there is a question of whether or not the princess will feel the pea.
“There’s that sort of question. What makes a princess a princess, and by that token, what makes anyone say they are what they are,” Metcalf said. “We have this fairy tale ideal of what princesses are, and here is this girl. She’s a prin-
publican bill, which will limit how much Medicaid money is sent back to providers, threatens funds for hospitals in their state again. And it could trigger a state Medicaid law that would close down North Carolina’s otherwise successful expansion of coverage unless state legislators make changes or locate funds.
The Medicaid dollars that Republicans seek to scale back in their bill have helped buttress the remaining rural hospitals across North Carolina, said Jay Ludlam, a deputy health secretary who leads North Carolina Medicaid.
cess too, but she’s not like that.”
Metcalf also said he tries to make the experience of acting in community theater “part doing the show and part acting class.” Maci Weeks makes her Uwharrie Players debut as the princess, while UP regular Suzanne Holshouser will portray Queen Aggravain. Holshouser appeared in the original Uwharrie Players production as a youth in 1983 as a member of the ensemble.
“I did that show in eighth grade, and I always wanted to be Winnifred because Carol Burnett was,” Holshouser said.
“Of course, I’ve gotten to the age where it’s like, ‘Well, I can’t be Winnifred.’”
Holshouser added the Queen sings one of her favorite songs, “Sensitivity,” and preparing to do this show again has been emotional for her.
“A lot of the original cast members who played the leads were very close, and we were so close to the Players growing up. Most of (the originals) have passed away,” Holshouser said.
She said she is dedicating her performance as the Queen
“This has been a lifeline for our rural hospitals here in North Carolina and has helped provide and keep them open,” Ludlam said. “Rural hospitals play an integral role in communities both as a point of access for health care but also for the local economy because of the contributions that those hospital and hospital systems make to those communities.”
Republicans have responded to concerns with a provision that will provide $10 billion annually to rural hospitals for ve years, or $50 billion in total.
Around the country, 200 hospitals have closed or shuttered emergency services in the last two decades, many of them in red states across the southeastern and midwestern U.S. States that have declined to expand Medicaid coverage, the health insurance program for the poorest of Americans, have seen the closures accelerate. Tennessee, for example, has shed 500 beds since 2014, when a federal law rst allowed states to expand Medicaid coverage to a greater share of low-income people. It’s one of 10 states that has not expanded Medicaid.
More than 300 hospitals could be at risk for closure if the Republicans’ bill becomes law, an analysis by the Cecil G. Sheps Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found last month. The center tracks rural hospital closures.
“Substantial cuts to Medicaid or Medicare payments could increase the number of unpro table rural hospitals and elevate their risk of nancial distress,” the analysis concluded. “In response, hospitals may be forced to reduce service lines, convert to a di erent type of health care facility, or close altogether.”
to a UP Hall of Fame member, Joan Giglio, who portrayed the Queen in the UP’s original production. Her father, Sam Holshouser, who is another member of the Hall of Fame, helped build the set for the original production, while her mother, Sara, was the stage manager for it. Other cast members include Isaac Welch as Prince Dauntless, Bradley Eudy as Sir Harry and Dennis Welch as the Minstrel.
Blair Johnson is choreographer for the show, and Jenny Carroll is musical director. Audrey Barringer is the property designer, while Edna Lipe-Harkey is the costume designer. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for seniors 60 and older and those 17 and under.
Tickets are available online at theuwharrieplayers.org or at the door. Saturday is buy one, get one night, available at the door or online using discount code MATTRESS. The free ticket will be the one of equal or lesser value among the tickets.
KARL B DEBLAKER / AP PHOTO
The vacant Martin County General Hospital sits abandoned in April 2024 after being closed in August of 2023.
Supreme Court will take up new case on transgender students in sports
The case looks at laws banning biological males from girls’ sports
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Supreme Court agreed Thursday to hear a case over state restrictions on which school sports teams transgender students can join.
Just two weeks after upholding a ban on gender-a rming care for transgender youth, the justices said they will review lower court rulings in favor of transgender athletes in Idaho and West Virginia. The case will be argued in the fall.
The nationwide battle over the participation of transgender girls on girls sports teams has played out at both the state and federal levels as Republicans have leveraged the issue as a ght for athletic fairness for women and girls.
More than two dozen states have enacted laws barring transgender women and girls from participating in certain sports competitions. Some policies have been blocked in court.
At the federal level, the Trump administration has led lawsuits and launched investigations over state and school policies that have allowed transgender athletes to compete freely. This week, the University of Pennsylvania modied a trio of school records set by transgender swimmer Lia Thomas and said it would apologize to female athletes “disadvantaged” by her participation on the women’s swimming team, part of a resolution of a federal civil rights case.
Separately, Senate Democrats in March blocked a Republican push for a national ban.
Republican President Donald Trump also has acted ag-
gressively in other areas involving transgender people, including removing transgender troops from military service. In May, the Supreme Court allowed the ouster of transgender service members to proceed, reversing lower courts that had blocked it.
A recent poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public A airs Research found that about 7 in 10 U.S. adults think transgender female athletes should not be allowed to participate in girls and women’s sports at the high school, college or professional level. That view was shared by about 9 in 10 Republicans and roughly half of Democrats.
West Virginia is appealing a
lower-court ruling that found the ban violates the rights of Becky Pepper-Jackson, who has been taking puberty-blocking medication and has publicly identi ed as a girl since she was in the third grade. Pepper-Jackson sued the state when she in was middle school because she wanted to compete on the cross country and track teams.
This past school year, Pepper-Jackson quali ed for the West Virginia girls high school state track meet, nishing third in the discus throw and eighth in the shot put in the Class AAA division.
The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled for Pepper-Jackson in two areas, under the Constitution’s equal protection
clause and the landmark federal law known as Title IX that forbids sex discrimination in education.
“It’s a great day, as female athletes in West Virginia will have their voices heard. The people of West Virginia know that it’s unfair to let male athletes compete against women; that’s why we passed this commonsense law preserving women’s sports for women,” state Attorney General John McCuskey said in a statement.
Lawyers for Pepper-Jackson, who had urged the court to reject the appeal, said they stand ready to defend the lower-court rulings.
“Like any other educational program, school athlet-
“The people of West Virginia know that it’s unfair to let male athletes compete against women; that’s why we passed this commonsense law preserving women’s sports for women.”
John McCuskey, West Virginia attorney general
ic programs should be accessible for everyone regardless of their sex or transgender status. Trans kids play sports for the same reasons their peers do–to learn perseverance, dedication, teamwork, and to simply have fun with their friends,” the American Civil Liberties Union’s Joshua Block said in a statement. Lambda Legal, which advocates for LGBTQ rights, also is representing Pepper-Jackson.
Idaho in 2020 became the rst state in the nation to ban transgender women and girls from playing on women’s sports teams sponsored by public schools, colleges and universities.
The ACLU and the women’s rights group Legal Voice sued Idaho on behalf of Lindsay Hecox, who hoped to run for Boise State University. A Boise-area athlete who is not transgender also joined the lawsuit because she fears the law could force her to undergo invasive tests to prove her biological sex if someone questions her gender.
The state asked for Supreme Court review after lower courts blocked the state’s ban while the lawsuit continues.
The justices did not act on a third case from Arizona that raises the same issue.
A diagram shows the trajectory of interstellar comet 3I/ ATLAS as it passes through the solar system.
New interstellar comet will keep away from Earth
NASA says our planet is not in any danger from comet 31/ATLAS
By Marcia Dunn The Associated Press
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. —
NASA has discovered an interstellar comet that’s wandered into our backyard.
The space agency spotted the quick-moving object with the Atlas telescope in Chile earlier this week, and con rmed it was a comet from another star system.
It’s o cially the third known interstellar object to pass
through our solar system and poses no threat to Earth.
“These things take millions of years to go from one stellar neighborhood to another, so this thing has likely been traveling through space for hundreds of millions of years, even billions of years,” Paul Chodas, director of NASA’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies, said Thursday.
“We don’t know, and so we can’t predict which star it came from.”
The newest visitor is 416 million miles from the sun, out near Jupiter, and heading this way at a blistering 37 miles per second.
NASA said the comet will make its closest approach to the
sun in late October, scooting between the orbits of Mars and Earth — but closer to the red planet than us at a safe 150 million miles away.
Astronomers around the world are monitoring the icy snowball that’s been o cially designated as 3I/Atlas to determine its size and shape. Chodas told The Associated Press that there have been more than 100 observations since its discovery on July 1, with preliminary reports of a tail and a cloud of gas and dust around the comet’s nucleus.
The comet should be visible by telescopes through September, before it gets too close to the
sun, and reappear in December on the other side of the sun.
Based on its brightness, the comet appears to be bigger than the rst two interstellar interlopers, possibly several miles (tens of kilometers) across, Chodas said. It’s coming in faster, too, from a di erent direction, and while its home star is unknown, scientists suspect it was closer to the center of our Milky Way galaxy. The rst interstellar visitor observed from Earth was Oumuamua, Hawaiian for scout, in honor of the observatory in Hawaii that discovered it in 2017. Classi ed at rst as an aster-
oid, the elongated Oumuamua has since showed signs of being a comet.
The second object con rmed to have strayed from another star system into our own — 21/Borisov — was discovered in 2019 by a Crimean amateur astronomer with that name. It, too, is believed to be a comet.
“We’ve been expecting to see interstellar objects for decades, frankly, and nally we’re seeing them,” Chodas said. “A visitor from another solar system, even though it’s natural — it’s not arti cial, don’t get excited because some people do ... It’s just very exciting.” NASA/JPL-CALTECH VIA
J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE / AP PHOTO
The Supreme Court sits on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., across the street from the Capitol.
pontoon boat in bright pink vinyl. When people still struggled to nd them, they added the 15-foot agpole.
“We have a huge ag we raise while we’re in the water. Now we look like a giant sailboat,” she said.
The menu has expanded from bundt cakes and cupcakes to include snack mixes, brownies, cookies and Italian ices. This year features a new line of smaller cakes called “baby cakes.”
Despite the expanded menu, Lanier said she still sells more cakes and sweet treats than ices. She rotates three cake avors each weekend, with red velvet, cherry lemon Sun Drop and strawberry crunch being the most popular. The strawberry crunch cake tastes like the popular ice cream bar.
For customers avoiding carbs and sugar, the cake boat o ers keto-approved cakes and gluten-free options.
Social media, including TikTok, has helped spread word about the business. Lanier said they’re often recognized as “the cake boat.”
“You can go get ice cream from pretty much anywhere. You can go get a hamburger pretty much anywhere, but as far as I know, I’m the only one that actually sells cake on the lake,” she said.
On Saturdays, the cake boat typically spends at least an hour at the Sandbar, a popular hangout near Morrow Mountain at the head of the lake
where boaters gather. The boat also parks in the middle of the lake across from the Swift Island boat landing cove.
“We sit there and wait for people to come to us,” Lanier said. “If we were to run up and down the lake, especially towards Norwood, the lake gets so wide no one would see us.”
The boat operates from 2-4 p.m. Saturdays and 1-4 p.m. Sundays, with additional Monday hours on holiday weekends like Memorial Day.
The Laniers have also expanded to a food truck, converting a former hamburger truck to serve cakes and desserts.
Both Mia and Michael work full-time jobs, making the cake boat like a second career.
“I’m kind of a workaholic, but I just love what I do,” Mia Lanier said.
The business remains family-centered, with Michael and their son Asher working on the boat.
“Michael goes out with me; my son, Asher, goes out with me. I could not be able to do what I do without them,” she said. “If there’s anything that takes time away from them, I don’t want to do it. We get to experience this together as a family and spend time working together.”
What is hospice care?
Hospice care aims to ease pain in patients who are not expected to recover from their condition; life expectancy is 6 months or less and treatment is no longer being pursued.
What is palliative care?
Palliative care aims to ease pain and help with symptoms caused by a chronic or serious illness but is not considered to be life-limiting at this time. This service adds an extra layer of support working in conjunction with an individual’s medical team and life-prolonging medications or treatments.
Mia Lanier (middle) prepares for another day selling cake on Lake Tillery. Her son Asher, left, and husband Michael are on board, too.
STANLY SPORTS
PJ WARD-BROWN / STANLY NEWS JOURNAL
Local softball players earn NCSCA
all-district honors
Madi Whitley was named the District 6
2A Pitcher of the Year
Stanly News Journal sta
THE NORTH Carolina Softball Coaches Association announced the 2025 all-district teams last week.
Multiple local players earned all-district honors for District 6. Here are the county’s all-district selections and what they accomplished this past season.
1A Lia Carpenter (South Stanly)
The freshman second baseman led the Rowdy Rebel Bulls
in batting and on-base percentage, was second in hits and third in RBIs.
Piper Huneycutt (South Stanly)
The junior catcher was South’s top elder and was second in home runs, RBIs and slugging, and third in hits and doubles.
Coco Tyson (South Stanly)
The freshman rst baseman led the team in home runs, hits, runs, RBIs, doubles and slugging.
Kinsley Tyson (South Stanly)
The senior pitcher led South in wins, starts, strikeouts and ERA. She also threw a no-hitter.
2A
Makaylah Barger (North Stanly)
The senior rst baseman was among the North Stanly team leaders in extra base hits.
Leah Frick (North Stanly)
The senior out elder led the Comets in RBIs and was second in slugging, doubles and home runs.
Sammie Lowder (North Stanly)
The freshman utility player was North Stanly’s home run leader and also paced the Rowdy Rebel Bulls in slugging percentage.
Breauna Speight (North Stanly)
The senior out elder led North in batting, OBP and runs, and she was second in stolen bases and hits, third in doubles.
Kylie Speight (North Stanly)
The senior shortstop/pitcher led the team in hits, stolen bases and doubles, was second in batting average, runs and RBIs, and third in OBP and slugging. She led the Yadkin Valley in steals. On the mound, she had a sub 1.00 ERA and hurled a pair of no-hitters.
Payton Watson (West Stanly)
The junior out elder led the Colts in runs and tied for the team lead in doubles.
Madi Whitley (West Stanly, District 6 2A pitcher of the year)
The sophomore pitcher was the district’s class 2A pitcher of
Mexican driver Suárez out of NASCAR ride at Trackhouse Racing at end of 2025 season
The parting was called a “mutual decision”
The Associated Press
CONCORD — Daniel Suárez, the only Mexican-born driver to win a NASCAR national series race, is out at Trackhouse Racing at the end of the 2025 season.
Trackhouse and Suárez ocially called the parting a “mutual decision” that allows the driver an earlier opportunity to pursue a new ride for next season.
While Trackhouse did not name a replacement in the No. 99 Chevrolet, Suárez’s departure opened the door for the team to promote teen sensation Connor Zilisch into the ride. Zilisch, who drives in the X nity Series for JR Motorsports, has run three Cup races for Trackhouse this season, including last Saturday at Atlanta.
Suárez has two wins in 305 career Cup starts, and he is a distant 29th in the points standings
this season. The 33-year-old is in his fth season with Trackhouse Racing and was the team’s rst driver in 2021. He made the Cup Series playo s two times with Trackhouse.
“We took a team nobody had even heard of in 2021 and in just a couple of years we were winning races and running upfront on a
weekly basis,” Suárez wrote on social media. “Just like the seasons in a year, sometimes things change and we have agreed to each go in our own direction.”
Trackhouse founder and owner Justin Marks thanked Suárez for his contributions.
“The role Daniel has played in the Trackhouse origin sto -
“Just like the seasons in a year, sometimes things change and we have agreed to each go in our own direction.”
Daniel Suárez on social media
ry and its rst ve years will remain a valued part of the company’s history forever,” Marks said. “His commitment, work ethic and dedication to the effort is one of the most impressive things I personally have seen in my career.”
Trackhouse Racing also has Ross Chastain and Shane van Gisbergen under contract, along with Zilisch as its development driver. Chastain has six career wins and was the 2022 Cup Series runner-up, while van Gisbergen has a win this year and is in the playo s. Suárez, who became an American citizen last year, also has three X nity Series wins
14: local players earning all-district selections
the year. Her 1.75 ERA led the Rocky River 2A/3A conference and was fth best in class 2A West. Her 17 wins were in the top 15 in NCHSAA, and her strikeout total was fourth in 2A West.
Kennedy Austin (West Stanly)
The sophomore shortstop was second on the team in runs, RBIs, steals and homers.
Saylor Edwards (West Stanly)
The junior out elder led West in batting average, home runs, slugging, steals, hits and RBIs. Laney Tucker (West Stanly)
The freshman rst baseman was tops in OBP for the Colts. and second in batting and elding.
and one Truck Series win. His 2016 championship in the second-tier X nity Series made him the only foreign-born driver to win a national series title.
He made a triumphant return last month to his home country when he won the X nity Series race in Mexico City driving for JR Motorsports at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
Yet the balance of celebrating a homecoming with looming contract negotiations weighed on Suárez.
“It’s not the rst time that I’ve been in this position. De nitely the rst time with the Mexico race, but it’s not the rst time that I’ve been in the position that we have to win or in the position that we have a contract negotiation in the middle of the season,” Suárez said.
“It’s de nitely a distraction. I won’t sit here and tell you that it doesn’t really matter. I’m trying to be as smart as possible and to put all this stu on the side and just do my thing on the track.”
He’ll do his thing at the track in 2026 with yet another new team.
Suarez started his Cup career with Joe Gibbs Racing and has raced for Stewart-Haas Racing and Gaunt Brothers Racing. He has Cup wins in 2022 at Sonoma and last year in Atlanta.
Madi Whitley throws a pitch for West Stanly during her district pitcher of the year 2025 season.
GEORGE WALKER IV / AP PHOTO
Daniel Suarez smiles at the NASCAR Cup Series race in Tennessee last month. He’ll be a free agent following the season.
Dybantsa, Peterson, Boozer headline
’26 NBA Draft’s top lottery prospects
3. Cameron Boozer, Duke
By Aaron Beard The Associated Press
THE NBA has had Victor Wembanyama and Cooper Flagg as obvious No. 1 overall draft picks in recent years. AJ Dybantsa has been headed toward that status for 2026.
The BYU signee has been a favorite to sit atop draft boards next summer and ranks as the nation’s top recruit by ESPN, On3 and Rivals. Kansas signee Darryn Peterson tops the list for 247Sports to make it a more open race for No. 1.
Here’s an early look next summer’s potential lottery prospects:
1. A.J. Dybantsa, BYU
The 6-foot-9 forward chose the Cougars over Kansas, UNC and Alabama. Athleticism and versatility shine through his rangy scoring skillset, notably when he attacks o the dribble and nishes at the rim.
2. Darryn Peterson, Kansas
The 6-5 guard from Ohio o ers perimeter size with ability to play on or o the ball. He was co-MVP of the McDonald’s All-American game.
The 6-9 forward joined twin Cayden in winning a high school national title and fourth straight Florida state title. The son of former Duke and NBA forward Carlos Boozer showed his insideout game (22 points, 16 rebounds, six assists) leading the U.S. past the World team in the Nike Hoop Summit. He joined Peterson as the McDonald’s game co-MVP.
4. Nate Ament, Tennessee
The 6-9 forward is a McDonald’s All-American and Gatorade player of the year for Virginia.
5. Caleb Wilson, UNC
The 6-9 forward from Atlanta and McDonald’s All-American offers two - way potential with his athleticism and length, including as a shot blocker. The McDonald’s All -American announced his UNC commitment on TNT’s “Inside The NBA” show.
6. Chris Cenac Jr., Houston ESPN and 247Sports rank Cenac as the nation’s top center, offering rangy skills and outside shooting that made him the MVP of the NBPA Top 100 camp in summer 2024.
7. Karim Lopez, New Zealand Breakers (Australia)
The versatile 6-8 wing from Mexico is part of the National Basketball League’s “Next Stars” program designed to develop highend prospects.
8. Jayden Quaintance, Kentucky
The 6-9 forward was a top-10 recruit last year entering Arizona State. He later transferred to join the Wildcats.
9. Mikel Brown Jr., Louisville
The 6-3 McDonald’s All-American is big signee for Pat Kelsey, ranking as the No. 1 point guard prospect for Rivals.
10. Darius Acu Jr., Arkansas
The 6-2 Acu is the top point guard prospect for 247Sports (No. 5 overall) and ESPN (No. 7). The
McDonald’s All-American operates smoothly in the pick-and-roll.
11. Tounde Yessoufou, Baylor
ESPN’s ninth-ranked recruit o ers a sturdy frame (roughly 6-5 and 210 pounds) and versatile athleticism while being known for a highmotor style.
12. Dash Daniels, Melbourne United (Australia)
The younger brother of Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels will play for the NBL’s “Next Stars” program.
13. Isaiah Evans, Duke
The 6-6 guard withdrew from this year’s draft and must add strength to a 175-pound frame. But there’s clear upside with his explosive scoring potential, such as hitting six rst-half 3s out of nowhere against Auburn in December.
14. Labaron Philon, Alabama
The 6-4 freshman point guard was a last-minute draft withdrawal.
Others to watch (in alphabetical order):
Alijah Arenas: The son of former NBA guard Gilbert Arenas is a McDonald’s All-American.
Miles Byrd: The 6-7 guard from San Diego State as a redshirt sophomore. Ian Jackson: The 6-4 guard averaged 11.9 points while shooting 39.5% from 3-point range at UNC as a ve-star freshman before transferring to St. John’s.
Yaxel Lendeborg: The 6-9, 240-pound forward has gone from junior college to UAB and now Michigan. Tahaad Pettiford: The 6-1 freshman averaged 11.6 points and shot 36.6% on 3s for Auburn.
Meleek Thomas: The 6-4 guard is a McDonald’s All-American who signed with Arkansas.
GREGORY PAYAN / AP PHOTO
Cameron Boozer directs teammates during a high school game at the Hoophall Classic in Spring eld, Massachusetts.
Hornets get Connaughton, pair of second-round picks from Milwaukee for Micic
The team also brought back Mason Plumlee
By Steve Reed
The Associated Press
CHARLOTTE — The Charlotte Hornets have acquired guard Pat Connaughton and two second-round draft picks from the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for point guard Vasa Micic, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.
The Hornets will get Milwaukee’s second-round picks in 2031 and 2032 as part of the deal.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because trades can’t be nalized by the league until July 6.
The Bucks were looking to shed Connaughton’s $9.4 million salary for this coming season from their books to make room for other players, most notably to sign free agent center Myles Turner. The Hornets, who are trying to build assets as they look toward the future, were only happy to oblige.
Connaughton saw his play-
ing time decrease this past season, appearing in 41 games while averaging 5.3 points and 2.7 assists. Micic split time between the Hornets and Phoenix Suns last season, where he averaged 7.5 points per game for Charlotte. He was reacquired as part of the Mark Williams trade.
Pfei er releases 2025 volleyball schedule
Falcons have 27 matches planned for the 2025 season
Stanly News Journal sta
PFEIFFER UNIVERSITY has announced its 2025 women’s volleyball schedule, which will kick o late August and run through November.
The 27-match season includes a nonconference schedule with games at the Covenant Classic in Lookout Mountain,
Georgia, and road games at Johnson & Wales along with a four-game road trip to Virginia facing Randolph, Roanoke, Bridgewater and Lynchburg. Conference play begins Sept. 16 when Pfei er hosts Salem College at Merner Gym. The Falcons will play 16 USA South matches, including key home dates against N.C. Wesleyan (Sept. 27), Greensboro (Oct. 4), Methodist (Oct. 8), and Meredith (Oct. 22). Senior Day is set for Nov. 8 against Mary Baldwin.
The Hornets also agreed to terms with guard Tre Mann to return on a threeyear, $24 million contract and agreed to terms on a oneyear deal with free agent center Mason Plumlee, the person said. Plumlee returns to Charlotte, where he spent two seasons from 2021-23. Mann was injured most of last season.
The USA South Tournament begins on Nov. 11 with the eight top teams based on the nal regular season standings. The semi nals will be Nov. 13, with the championship game set for Nov. 15. All rounds will be hosted by the highest seed.
“We’re excited about the depth and balance of our 2025 schedule,” said third-year head coach Heather Schoch.
“The early tournaments will prepare us for the grind of conference play, and we’re looking forward to competing for a spot in the postseason.”
All home matches will be played in Merner Gymnasium in Misenheimer, with live streaming available at gofalconsports.com via Pfei er’s partnership with HUDL.
Lawson, always a basketball trailblazer, has legit chance to lead USA squad in LA
The Duke coach has already led the 3-on-3 team to gold but wants to coach 5-on-5
By Doug Feinberg
The Associated Press
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.
— Kara Lawson has always been a basketball trailblazer and now the Duke women’s coach has a legit chance to lead USA to another gold medal.
She has already done it once. Lawson guided the Americans to a 3-on-3 Olympic gold medal and could have the chance to lead the USA’s 5-on-5 squad at the Los Angeles Games in three years. First up is coaching the U.S. AmeriCup team playing in Chile.
Coaching is something she wanted to do since she was a young girl growing up in Virginia. She just didn’t know it would be for her country.
“I played for a long time, and, so I got into coaching a little bit later just because I had a long playing career, which is as a good excuse as any to get into coaching later,” Lawson said. “So I was always drawn to it. I just didn’t know what my entry point was.”
Fast forward 37 years and she’s in charge of the group of college players heading to South America.
“I’m fortunate enough to be assigned something as important as America’s head coach, my goal is to do the best job possible,” Lawson said during a break as she prepared her team for the World
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Saylor Edwards
Saylor Edwards is a junior out elder for the West Stanly softball team. She also played volleyball for the Colts.
Her four home runs were second in the Rocky River 2A/3A conference, and she led West in batting average (.444), homers, slugging (.704) steals (5), hits (36) and RBIs (22), according to MaxPreps. She was also second in on-base percentage and third in runs scored. Her performance earned her a spot on the North Carolina Softball Coaches Association All-District team for District 6, Class 2A. During volleyball season, she was second on the Colts in hitting percentage and blocks.
who goes where, and am I next in line? I just never found that to to be productive and drives you crazy and it’s a waste of energy.
Cup qualifying tournament.
The 44-year-old Lawson could become the second African American to lead the USA women’s Olympic basketball team. Dawn Staley was the coach in 2020. Lawson didn’t want to look at this opportunity as a tryout to be the 2028 Olympic coach or even next year’s World Cup which she is on the short list to coach. That decision will be made by Sue Bird, the national team managing director.
“In my experience in life, if you just keep that mindset of being in the moment, more opportunities tend to happen for you,” said Lawson, who helped the USA win gold in 2008, where she and Bird were teammates. “And if you’re so worried about where you t and
“So I try to just lock in on like, ‘what do I need to do at this job to be really good?’ ” Now she’ll try and lead the team to another victory and the automatic berth to the World Cup next year in Germany.
“I think the mentality for every team is to win,” Lawson said. “Our group understands that we’re on the lower end of the experience totem pole entering this competition and that we’re going to face some very good teams. So the race is on for us to gain continuity, pick up our playbook as quickly as we can and get on the same page.”
She knows the pressure that comes with coaching a USA team. Anything less than a gold medal is considered a failure.
Lawson doesn’t let the lofty expectations create additional pressure on her.
DeLisha Milton-Jones was
a teammate of Lawson’s on the 2007 AmeriCup team and now is coaching with her. She’s been impressed with what she’s seen so far from Lawson as a coach.
“She has a knack for the game,” Milton-Jones said. “Kara is well versed when it comes to the game. Started o at an early age going to games with her father. Going to college and being coached by one of the greatest ever to coach. Having experiences from NBA, WNBA, international side of things.”
In the AmeriCup, Lawson will be coaching some of the most talented players in women’s college basketball, including Flau’Jae Johnson (LSU), Olivia Miles (TCU) and Hannah Hidalgo (Notre Dame).
Lawson has made quite an impression.
“The intensity she brings every day, you feel it like that’s a pro right there,” Johnson said. “Just learning from her I learned so much in these (few) days, it’s been amazing.”
NICK WASS / AP PHOTO
Former Milwaukee Bucks guard Pat Connaughton has been dealt to the Hornets.
‘Jurassic World’ needed restart; Steven Spielberg knew who to call
The reboot has a familiar voice behind the script
By Jake Coyle
The Associated Press
EXT JUNGLE NIGHT
An eyeball, big, yellowish, distinctly inhuman, stares raptly between wooden slats, part of a large crate. The eye darts from side to side quickly, alert as hell.
So begins David Koepp’s script to 1993’s “Jurassic Park.” Like much of Koepp’s writing, it’s crisply terse and intensely visual. It doesn’t tell the director (in this case Steven Spielberg) where to put the camera, but it nearly does.
“I asked Steven before we started: What are the limitations about what I can write?” Koepp recalls. “CGI hadn’t really been invented yet. He said: ‘Only your imagination.’”
Yet in the 32 years since penning the adaptation of Michael Crichton’s novel, Koepp has established himself as one of Hollywood’s top screenwriters not through the boundlessness of his imagination but by his expertise in limiting it. Koepp is the master of the “bottle” movie — lms hemmed in by a single location or condensed timed frame. From David Fincher’s “Panic Room” (2002) to Steven Soderbergh’s “Presence” (2025), he excels at corralling stories into uncluttered, headlong movie narratives. Koepp can write anything — as long as there are parameters.
“The great lm scholar and historian David Bordwell and I were talking about that concept once and he said, ‘Because the world is too big?’ I said, ‘That’s it, exactly,’” Koepp says. “The world is too big. If I can put the camera anywhere I want, if anybody on the entire planet can appear in this lm, if it can last 130 years, how do I even begin? It makes me want to take a nap.
“So I’ve always looked for bottles in which to put the delicious wine.”
Reining in “Jurassic World”
By some measure, the world of “Jurassic World” got too big. In the last entry, 2022’s not particularly well received “Jurassic World: Dominion,” the dinosaurs had spread across the planet. “I don’t know where else to go with that,” Koepp says.
Koepp, a 62-year-old native of Pewaukee, Wisconsin, hadn’t written a “Jurassic” movie since the second one, 1997’s “The Lost World.” Back then, Brian De Palma, whom Koepp worked with on “Carlito’s Way” and “Mission: Impossible,” took to calling him “dinosaur boy.”
Koepp soon after moved onto other challenges. But when Spielberg called him up a few years ago and asked, “Do you have one more in you?” Koepp had one request: “Can we start over?”
“Jurassic World Rebirth,” which opened in theaters Wednesday, is a fresh start for one of Hollywood’s biggest multibillion-dollar franchises. It’s a new cast of characters (Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali and Jonathan Bailey co-star), a new director (Gareth Edwards) and a new storyline. But just as they were 32 years ago, the dinosaurs are again Koepp’s to play with.
“The rst page reassured me,” says Edwards. “It said: ‘Written by David Koepp.’”
For many moviegoers, that opening credit has been a signal that what follows is likely to be smartly scripted, brightly paced and neatly situated. His script to Ron Howard’s 1994 news drama “The Paper” took place over 24 hours. “Secret Window” (2004) was set in an upstate New York cabin. Even bigger scale lms like “War of
the Worlds” favor the fate of one family over global calamity.
“I hear those ideas and I get excited. OK, now I’m constrained,” says Koepp. “A structural or aesthetic constraint is like the Hayes Code. They had to come up with many other interesting ways to imply those people had sex, and that made for some really interesting storytelling.”
The two Stevens Koepp’s bottles can t either summer spectacles or low-budget indies. “Jurassic World Rebirth” is the third lm penned by Koepp just this year, following a nifty pair of thrillers with Steven Soderbergh in “Presence” and “Black Bag.” “Presence,” like “Panic Room,” stays within a family home, and it’s seen entirely from the perspective of a ghost. “Black Bag” deliciously combines marital drama with spy movie, organized around a dinner party and a polygraph test. Those lms completed a zippy trilogy with Soderbergh, begin-
ning with 2022’s blistering pandemic-set “Kimi.”
Much of Koepp’s career, particularly recently, run through the two Stevens: Soderbergh and Spielberg.
“What they have in common is they both would have absolutely killed it in the 1940s,” Koepp says. “In the studio system in the 1940s, if Jack Warner said ‘I’m putting you on the Wally Beery wrestling picture.’ Either one of them would have said, ‘Great, here’s what I’m going to do.’ They both share that sensibility of: How do we get this done?”
Spielberg and Koepp recently wrapped production on Spielberg’s untitled new science ction lm, said to be especially meaningful to Spielberg. He gave a 50-page treatment to Koepp to turn into a script.
“It’s even more focused than I’ve ever seen him on a movie,” says Koepp. “There would be times — we’d be in di erent time zones – I’d wake up and there were 35 texts, and this went on for about a year. He’s as locked in on that movie as I’ve ever seen him, and he’s a guy who locks in.”
“Your own ChatGPT”
For “Jurassic World Rebirth,” Koepp wanted to reorder the franchise. Inspired by Chuck Jones’ “commandments” for the Road Runner cartoons (the Road Runner only says “meep meep”; all products are from the ACME Corporation, etc.), Koepp put down nine governing principles for the “Jurassic” franchise. They included things like “humor is oxygen” and that the dinosaurs are animals, not monsters.
A key to “Rebirth” was geographically herding the dinosaurs. In the new movie, they’ve clustered around the equator,
drawn to the tropical environment. Like “Jurassic Park,” the action takes place primarily on an island.
Going into the project, Edwards was warned about his screenwriter’s convictions.
“At the end of my meeting with Spielberg, he just smiled and said, “That’s great. If you think we were di cult, wait until you meet David Koepp,’” says Edwards, laughing.
But Edwards and Koepp quickly bonded over similar tastes in movies, like the original “King Kong,” a poster of which hangs in Koepp’s o ce. On set, Edwards would sometimes nd the need for 30 seconds of new dialogue.
“Within like a minute, I’d get this perfectly written 30 second interaction that was on theme, funny, had a reversal in it — perfect,” says Edwards. “It was like having your own ChatGPT but actually really good at writing.”
‘Everyone’s got a note’
In the summer, especially, it’s common to see a long list of names under the screenplay. Blockbuster-making is, increasingly, done by committee. The stakes are too high, the thinking goes, to leave it to one writer. But “Jurassic World Rebirth” bears just Koepp’s credit.
“There’s an old saying: ‘No one of us is as dumb as all of us,’” Koepp says. “When you have eight or 10 people who have signi cant input into the script, the odds are stacked enormously against you. You’re trying to please a lot of di erent people, and it often doesn’t go well.”
The only time that worked, in Koepp’s experience, was Sam Raimi’s 2002 “Spider-Man.” “I was also hired and red three times on that movie,” he says, “so maybe they knew what they were doing.”
Koepp, though, prefers to — after research and outlining — let a movie topple out of his mind as rapidly as possible. “I like to gun it out and clean up the mess later,” he says.
But the string of “Presence,” “Black Bag” and “Jurassic World Rebirth” may have tested even Koepp’s prodigious output. The intense period of writing, which fell before, during (“Black Bag” was written on spec during the strike, not for hire, without being shopped) and after the writers strike, he says, meant ve months without a day o . “I might have broke something,” he says, shaking his head. Still, the three lms also show a veteran screenwriter working in high gear, judiciously meting out details and keeping dinosaurs, ghosts and spies hurtling forward. Anything like a perfect script — for Koepp, that’s “Rosemary’s Baby” or “Jaws” — remains elusive. But even when you come close, there are always critics.
“After the rst ‘Jurassic’ movie, a fth-grade class all wrote letters to me, which was very nice,” Koepp recalls. “Then they wrote, ‘PS, when you do the next one, don’t have it take so long to get to the island.’ Everyone’s got a note!’”
JASIN BOLAND / UNIVERSAL PICTURES AND AMBLIN ENTERTAINMENT VIA AP
Rupert Friend, left, and Scarlett Johansson in a scene from “Jurassic World: Rebirth.”
JASIN
EVAN AGOSTINI / INVISION / AP
Mahershala Ali, from left, Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, and Rupert Friend attend the “Jurassic World Rebirth” premiere on Monday, June 23, 2025, at Lincoln Center in New York.
From left, Bechir Sylvain, Jonathan Bailey and Scarlett Johansson star in “Jurassic World Rebirth.”
pay the said indebtedness to the undersigned Executrix. This the 9th day of June, 2025. Dianne Walters Executrix of the Estate of George T. Walters 24484 Rogers Road Rich eld, NC 28137 PUBLISH: June 15, 22, 29, July 6, 2025 James A. Phillips, Jr. Attorney for the Estate P.O. Box 1162 117 W. North Street Albemarle, NC 28002-1162
NORTH CAROLINA, IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE STANLY COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK
25E000346-830 NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The undersigned, having duly quali ed as Co-Executors of the Estate of W. Dwight Smith, deceased, late of Stanly County, North Carolina, are hereby notifying all persons, rms, or corporations having claims against said decedent, or his estate, to present the same to the undersigned Co-Executors, duly itemized and veri ed on or before the 22nd day of September, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the said decedent are
of the Estate of W. Dwight Smith 9686 Lisenby Road Norwood, NC 28128
PUBLISH: June 22, 29, July 6, 13, 2025. James A. Phillips, Jr. Attorney for the Estate P.O. Box 1162 117 W. North Street Albemarle, NC 28002-1162 NOTICE
NORTH CAROLINA, IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE STANLY COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK
25E000389-830 NOTICE TO CREDITORS The undersigned, having duly quali ed as Executrix of the Estate of Juanita Thompson Hatley, deceased, late of Stanly County, North Carolina, are hereby notifying all persons, rms, or corporations having claims against said decedent, or his estate, to present the same to the undersigned Executrix, duly itemized and
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NOTICE TO CREDITORS The undersigned has quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Janice H Burris, deceased, late of Stanly County, North Carolina (Stanly County File Number 25E000353830). This is to notify all persons, rms or corporations having claims against said decedent or her estate to present the same duly itemized and veri ed to the undersigned Executor or his Attorney on or before the 15th day of September, 2025, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms and corporations indebted to the said decedent or to her estate are hereby requested to pay the said indebtedness to the undersigned Executor or his attorney. This the 11th day of June, 2025. Lane O’Brion Burris, Jr Executor Estate of Janice H Burris 3090 Haven Terrace Milton, GA 30004 CHARLES P. BROWN Brown & Senter, P.L.L.C. Resident Process Agent Post O ce Box 400 Albemarle, North Carolina 28002 Telephone: 704 982-2141 Fascimile: 704 982-0902 PUBLISH: June 15, 22, 29, July 6, 2025
NOTICE NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 25E000328-830 Having quali ed as ADMINISTRATOR of the estate of ALBERT CONNON BARFIELD JR., deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina, This is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said ALBERT CONNON BARFIELD. JR to present them to the undersigned on or before Sept. 16, 2025, or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment. This 15th day of June, 2025 James Lee Bar eld 48033 Clodfelter Road Albemarle, North Carolina 28001 Administrator
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NORTH CAROLINA IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE STANLY COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 25E000268-830 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having quali ed as administrator of the estate of Judith Ann Carter, deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the estate of said Judith Ann Carter to present them to the undersigned or before July 22, 2025, or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment. Wendell Scott Carter 12897 Maranatha Dr. Norwood, NC, 28128 wscottcarter@msn.com This 22nd day of June, 2025
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NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY In the General Court of Justice Superior Court Clerk Before the Clerk 25-E-375 Having quali ed as Executor of
famous birthdays this week
The Associated Press
THESE CELEBRITIES have birthdays this week.
JULY 6
Singer Gene Chandler is 85. Actor Burt Ward (“Batman”) is 80. Actor Fred Dryer is 79. Actor Sylvester Stallone is 79. Actor Geo rey Rush is 74. Rapper-actor 50 Cent is 50.
JULY 7
Bandleader Doc Severinsen is 98. Drummer Ringo Starr is 85. Actor Joe Spano is 79. Singer David Hodo (the construction worker) of The Village People is 78.
JULY 8
Drummer Jaimoe Johanson of The Allman Brothers is 81. Actor Je rey Tambor is 81. Children’s singer Ra is 77. Actor Anjelica Huston is 74. Actor Kevin Bacon is 67. Actor Billy Crudup is 57. Singer Beck is 55.
JULY 9
Singer Dee Dee Kenniebrew of The Crystals is 80. Author Dean Koontz is 80. Actor Chris Cooper is 74. John Tesh is 73. Singer Debbie Sledge of Sister Sledge is 71. Actor Jimmy Smits is 70. Actor Tom Hanks is 69. Musician Jack White is 50. Actor Fred Savage is 49.
JULY 10
Actor William Smithers (“Dallas”) is 98. Singer Mavis Staples is 86. Actor Mills Watson (“B.J. and the Bear”) is 85. Actor Robert Pine (“CHiPS”) is 84. Folk singer Arlo Guthrie is 78. Banjo player Béla Fleck of Béla Fleck and the Flecktones is 67.
JULY 11
Actor Susan Seaforth Hayes (“Days of Our Lives”) is 82. Singer Je Hanna of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is 78. Ventriloquist Jay Johnson (“Soap”) is 76. Actor Sela Ward is 69. Guitarist Richie Sambora (Bon Jovi) is 66. Singer Suzanne Vega is 66.
SCOTT GARFITT / INVISION / AP PHOTO Rapper 50 Cent, pictured performing in 2023, turns 50 on Sunday.
JULY 12
Actor Denise Nicholas (“In the Heat of the Night”) is 81. Singer Walter Egan is 77. Actor Cheryl Ladd (“Charlie’s Angels”) is 74. Singer Ricky McKinnie of The Blind Boys of Alabama is 73. Gospel singer Sandi Patty is 69.
Daniel Craig, the sixth actor to play James Bond, appears at the premiere of “No Time to Die” in London in 2021. His successor for the next Bond lm is still up in the air.
Villeneuve to direct next Bond lm — here’s what to know
Who will play the next 007?
The Associated Press
IN THE 50-PLUS years of James Bond, the wait between lms has never gone longer than six years. The next entry, and rst since Daniel Craig’s dramatic exit, may test that — but things are speeding up.
Last Wednesday, Amazon MGM Studio announced that Denis Villeneuve will direct the 26th Bond movie, putting the franchise in the hands of one of the most respected big-budget lmmakers.
From “Dune” to Bond
Villeneuve, the 57-year-old French Canadian director, edged out other lmmakers who were reportedly eyed for the gig, including Edward Berger (“Conclave”) and Paul King (“Paddington 2”). Since emerging with 2010’s “Incendies,” Villeneuve has established himself as a steward of cinematic IP (“Blade Runner 2049,” “Dune”) and a specialist in dark, doom-laden spectacle (“Sicaro,” “Arrival”).
The culmination for Villeneuve has been the “Dune” lms. His rst two entries have surpassed $1 billion in box ofce and gathered a combined 15
Academy Award nominations, winning seven. Villeneuve is expected to begin shooting the third “Dune” lm this summer, with a cast including Timothée Chalamet, Florence Pugh, Zendaya and Javier Bardem.
“I’m a die-hard Bond fan. To me, he’s sacred territory,” said Villeneuve. “I intend to honor the tradition and open the path for many new missions to come. This is a massive responsibility, but also, incredibly exciting for me and a huge honor.”
What’s the timetable?
Amazon, which bought MGM Studios in 2022 for $8.5 billion, hasn’t set a release date yet or announced a screenwriter. Producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman are shepherding the movie for the rst time. In February, Amazon MGM Studios secured creative control of the franchise from Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, whose family has presided over Bond since the rst lm, 1962’s “Dr. No.” The most likely timing would be production starting in 2026 and the lm being released sometime in 2027.
Who’s in the mix to play Bond next?
No new 007 has been
Bassist Carol Kaye declining Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction
Her credits include major hits by the Beach Boys and the Monkees
By Andrew Dalton and Hillel Italie The Associated Press
NEW YORK — Carol Kaye, a proli c and revered bassist who played on thousands of songs in the 1960s, including hits by the Beach Boys, Simon & Garfun-
kel and Barbra Streisand, told The Associated Press last Friday that she wants no part of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
“I’ve declined the rrhof. Permanently,” the 90-year-old Kaye said in an email to the AP. She said she has sent a letter to the Hall saying the same thing.
Her remarks come two days after a Facebook post — since deleted — in which she said “NO I won’t be there. I am declining the RRHOF awards show.”
‘permanently’
Kaye was set to be inducted in November in a class that also includes Joe Cocker, Chubby Checker and Cyndi Lauper.
She said in her deleted post that she was “turning it down because it wasn’t something that re ects the work that Studio Musicians do and did in the golden era of the 1960s Recording Hits.”
Kaye’s credits include the bass lines on Simon & Garfunkel’s “Homeward Bound,”
Wally Lamb explores human cruelty, grace in prison with ‘The River is Waiting’
Oprah has picked three of the author’s novels for her book club
By Anita Snow The Associated Press
CORBY LEDBETTER is in trouble.
In Wally Lamb’s new novel, “The River Is Waiting,” Corby has lost his job as a commercial artist and has developed a secret addiction to alcohol and pills, setting him on a dangerous path that leads to an unfathomable tragedy.
Corby starts staying at home during the day with his twin toddlers — one boy and one girl — while his wife works
as the family’s sole breadwinner. Lying to his spouse that he’s looking for a job, he starts his mornings drinking hard liquor mixed with his prescription pills for anxiety, leaving him incapable of properly caring for the children he loves.
A tragic mix up one morning results in the death of Corby’s young son when he accidentally drives over the boy in their driveway. Devastated by the loss of little Niko, Corby now also faces a three-year prison sentence for involuntary manslaughter.
“The River Is Waiting” is Lamb’s rst novel in nine years and a new chance to explore human imperfection as he did in earlier best-selling novels that
included “She’s Come Undone,” about an obese adolescent girl awash in depression, and “I Know This Much Is True,” the story of a man ghting to protect his paranoid schizophrenic twin brother. Oprah Winfrey announced that she picked “The River Is Waiting” for her book club, the third time she’s selected a Lamb book.
Almost all the action in Lamb’s latest book plays out in prison, an ideal setting to examine the worst and best of humanity. The author taught writing workshops for incarcerated women over two decades, an experience that has helped him to draw a vivid picture of life behind bars, with all its indignities and a few acts of grace.
the Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations” and the Monkees’ “I’m a Believer.”
Along with drummer Hal Blaine and guitarist Tommy Tedesco, she was part of a core of heavily used studio musicians that Blaine later dubbed “The Wrecking Crew.”
Kaye hated the name and suggested in her Facebook post that her association with it was part of the reason for declining induction.
named, but that hasn’t stopped rumors and conjecture from running rampant. It’s pure speculation, but oddsmakers have a few expected contenders for the martini-sipping role. Those include Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Theo James, Aaron Pierre, Henry Cavill, James Norton and Jack Lowden. Expectations are that the new Bond will remain male and British, but producers have said nothing publicly to tip their hand.
New corporate overloads with something to prove
Since Albert “Cubby” Broccoli obtained the movie rights to Ian Fleming’s books, James Bond has been a family business. That didn’t change after Amazon bought MGM, but it did earlier this year when Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli agreed to let the studio take creative control. That hando stoked concern from many Bond fans that 007 would be picked apart for spino s, series and the kind of intellectual property strip mining Hollywood has been known for in other franchises like “Star Wars.” So far, though, Amazon MGM has made no announcement about any spino s and is prioritizing the 26th Bond movie.
“I was never a ‘wrecker’ at all,” she wrote, “that’s a terrible insulting name.”
Kaye’s inductee page on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame website makes no mention of the moniker.
Hall representatives had no immediate comment.
Many artists have been inducted in their absence or after their death, and in 2006 the Sex Pistols became Hall of Famers despite rejecting their induction.
In 2022, Dolly Parton initially declined her induction, saying someone more associated with rock ‘n’ roll should get the honor. But she was convinced to change her mind and embrace the honor.
While Corby is tormented by two excessively cruel guards, he also befriends the prison librarian, who shares book recommendations and homemade cookies with inmates who stop by. She even encourages him to paint a mural on the library wall. Several other prisoners also become friends, including a kind cellmate who looks out for him. Corby later tries to look out for someone else — a severely troubled young inmate who shouldn’t have
been locked up with hardened criminals.
During his imprisonment, Corby worries about whether his beloved wife, Emily, and their daughter, Maisie, can ever forgive him. But the experience hasn’t left him especially enlightened. At the end, Corby remains mostly a self-centered guy. He’s no hero and there’s no big epiphany. Like the protagonists in Lamb’s earlier novels, he is utterly human, failings and all.
MARK LENNIHAN / AP PHOTO
Wally Lamb, author of “The River is Waiting” speaks at Book Expo America in New York in 2013.
MATT DUNHAM / AP PHOTO
ANDREW D. HURLEY VIA WIKIPEDIA
Debbie Sledge, center, of the band Sister Sledge turns 71 on Wednesday.
JORDAN STRAUSS / INVISION / AP PHOTO
Tom Hanks arrives at the 15th Governors Awards in 2024. The actor turns 69 on Wednesday.
this week in history
Fourteenth Amendment rati ed, Burr shoots Hamilton, Rolling Stones debut at Marquee Club
JULY 6
1483: England’s King Richard III was crowned in Westminster Abbey.
1933: The rst All-Star baseball game was played at Chicago’s Comiskey Park; the American League defeated the National League 4-2 behind winning pitcher Lefty Gomez of the New York Yankees.
1957: Althea Gibson became the rst black tennis player to win a Wimbledon singles title as she defeated fellow American Darlene Hard 6–3, 6–2.
JULY 7
1846: U.S. annexation of California was proclaimed at Monterey after the surrender of a Mexican garrison.
1930: Construction began on Boulder Dam (later Hoover Dam).
1948: Six female U.S. Navy reservists became the rst women to be sworn in to the regular Navy.
1981: President Ronald Reagan announced he was nominating Arizona Judge Sandra Day O’Connor to become the rst female justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.
JULY 8
1776: Col. John Nixon gave the rst public reading of the Declaration of Independence, outside the State House (now Independence Hall) in Philadelphia.
1853: An expedition led by Commodore Matthew Perry arrived in Edo Bay, Japan, on a mission to seek diplomatic and trade relations with the Japanese.
1889: The rst issue of The Wall Street Journal was published.
JULY 9
1868: The Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was rati ed, granting citizenship and “equal protection under the laws” to anyone “born or naturalized in the United States,” including formerly enslaved people.
1896: William Jennings Bryan delivered his famous “Cross of Gold” speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
1918: A train collison killed 101 people in Nashville, Tennessee — the deadliest rail disaster in U.S. history.
JULY 10
1925: Jury selection began in Dayton, Tennessee, in the trial of John T. Scopes, charged with teaching Darwin’s Theory of Evolution.
1940: The Battle of Britain began as the German Luftwa e launched attacks on southern England during World War II.
1962: NASA launched Telstar 1, the rst active communications satellite.
JULY 11
1798: The U.S. Marine Corps
The rst issue of The Wall Street Journal, a nancial news sheet that grew into a leading global publication, was published on July 8, 1889.
was formally reestablished by congressional act, which also created the U.S. Marine Band.
1804: Vice President Aaron Burr mortally wounded Alexander Hamilton in a duel in Weehawken, New Jersey.
1859: Big Ben, the great bell inside London’s famous clock tower, chimed for the rst time.
1914: Babe Ruth made his major league debut, pitching the Boston Red Sox to a 4-3 win over Cleveland.
1960: Harper Lee’s novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” was published.
JULY 12
1543: England’s King Henry VIII married his sixth and nal wife, Catherine Parr.
1862: President Abraham Lincoln signed a bill authorizing the Army Medal of Honor during the Civil War.
1962: The Rolling Stones played their rst show at the Marquee Club in London.
1979: The Chicago White Sox held “Disco Demolition Night,” blowing up disco records on the eld between games; the resulting riot led to a forfeit of the second game.
AP PHOTO
Babe Ruth, right, crosses home plate following a two-run home run o National League starting pitcher Bill Hallahan in the third inning of the rst All-Star Game on July 6, 1933.
